


Butterflies

by earthseraph



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies)
Genre: M/M, Misunderstandings, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-11
Updated: 2017-02-11
Packaged: 2018-09-23 11:14:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9653951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/earthseraph/pseuds/earthseraph
Summary: “Do you think I’m getting premonitions?” He’s never gotten them before but there’s a first time for everything. He spins around in his chair and looks out his office window into the campus’ courtyard, “Perhaps today is the day the world ends.”Raven bursts out laughing, “Don’t be dramatic, Charles.”A bird flies by his window. The world doesn’t end. Damn.“You probably just walked by a random kid that was thinking too hard about asking their crush out and it rubbed off on you.”





	

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt fill for [Nini](http://jacquelineshyde.tumblr.com/), enjoy!
> 
> If you'd like to send a prompt feel free to here!

Charles usually loves Valentine’s day. It’s bright, full of love, and happiness radiates of people’s minds. Sure there’s some sadness in the air from bitter singles and wallowing widows, but the happiness overpowers that those emotions and rushes over him. It’s like being on a high from everyone’s happiness, and he’s bubbly all day from it. Today, though, he’s just nervous. 

“So you see,” he says, using the laser pointer at the end of his clicker to circle an area on the map, “the people living near the Basin couldn’t get obsidian on their own.”

He usually leans casually against the podium, occasionally moving around the hall to answer a question, sometimes sitting if a student has a particularly long question. All of that ease has seemingly disappeared, though. The casual nature he claims as one of his defining qualities has vanished into thin air, and now he’s turned into a pacing idiot. 

“If they couldn’t get it on their own, who did they get it from?” Charles asks the class. He somehow gets himself to stop beside the podium instead of walking past it and turning around once more to continue the pacing process. 

Charles can feel all his student’s minds working. Their minds have the sensation of the inside of a clock. Some of their minds spinning one way, some spinning the other like gears working in tandem. Some are thinking loudly, others soft and timid, unsure and not wanting to get the answer wrong even if they don’t say it outloud. He gives them all a reassuring smile, someone has to be inching onto the very obvious answer. Though, what is obvious to some is not obvious to others.

One of his front row students raises her hand- Jubilation, he believes her name is-it’s not confident, but he can feel her mind running through possibilities. Charles nods to her, and it’s only then that he realizes he’s been turning over the clicker in his hand. Another loss for him.

“They got it from the people who live in the Highlands?” She says, adding a question mark at the end of her sentence.

“Yes, very good, and why did they get it from the Highlanders?” He asks, egging her on to continue thinking. She’s close to the answer, he knows it. He forces himself to stay standing beside the podium, not wanting to distract her or anyone else with his moving around.

“Well,” she points to the map projecting behind him, “the people who live in the Highlands are closer to the obsidian, and so the people living in the Basin trade with them.”

He nods, allowing himself to move back to the podium, “Precisely.” He looks down at his watch, then back to the class, “On Thursday we’ll learn exactly what they traded and why.” He smiles to the class, watching them pack up their things quietly, and politely, “Have a good Valentine’s everyone.”

Thankfully, none of his students approach him after class. Whether it’s because they can tell that he’s not his normal self today, or because they just don’t have any questions, he isn’t sure. What he does know is that he’s glad they don’t try and speak to him. All he wants to do right now is lock himself in his office, cancel student visitation hours, and call Raven. Of course he won’t cancel visitation hours, but the prospect of it seems nice.

Charles waits until all of his students file out, and the next class starts filling in before leaving. He can’t be completely cruel and leave without giving his students a chance to ask their questions. Lest he get a lower score than his fiery chili pepper on Rate My Professor because he ran out of the lecture hall before his students could finish packing their things.

His office is blessedly quiet when he steps in it. Nobody’s bugging him yet about early advising or asking when they’re going to get new furniture for the floor. It’s like everyone knows to stay away, and maybe he projected a little, but he can’t get past these nerves that are churning in his gut. It feels like something’s going to happen- good or bad, he can’t tell. 

With a sigh, Charles settles into the chair behind his desk. He has half a mind to undo the top few buttons of his shirt and take off his shoes, but he’s not at home. He’s at work and despite feeling not at all like himself, he needs to act like it. He sits there for a moment, just staring at the green wall in front of him. He’s not exactly thinking, but he wouldn’t go as far as saying he’s having an out of body experience. He’s just... staring. 

The slam of a door down the hall snaps him out of the moment he was just having, into pulling out his phone and dialing Raven’s number. The line rings three times before she answers.

“What’s up, bro?”

Charles envies the nonchalance she has, “I don’t know what’s wrong with me, Raven.” He tells her, cutting to the chase.

“Lemme see, you’re a telepath and bi. Not very good for this economy, Charles.”

He rolls his eyes, “A failing economy couldn’t even put a dent in my bank account, dear.”

She snorts, there’s rusting over the line like she’s shifting. “Then what’s wrong?”

Charles hesitates. He feels silly. He’s a thirty year old man calling his sister because he feels nervous. The moment of feeling silly stays but he decides to get over it, better to get it out then dance around the problem. “I feel nervous, Raven. I’m never nervous.”

She’s silent for a moment, “Why are you nervous? Isn’t Valentine’s Day your favorite holiday?”

Charles sighs, leaning back in his chair, “Therein lies the problem. I don’t know why I’m nervous on my absolute favorite holiday.” 

“Maybe someone you’ve been around today had really nervous thoughts and they got to you?”

He mentally goes through the list of people he’s been with. He saw Erik- best friend, crush, and flatmate- this morning before heading to work, he had a brief conversation with Moira- other best friend and coworker- and what she’s doing with Emma- Moira’s girlfriend- tonight, and then his students. None of them were radiating nervous thoughts, not that he could tell, and not enough that he should feel it.

“Do you think I’m getting premonitions?” He’s never gotten them before but there’s a first time for everything. He spins around in his chair and looks out his office window into the campus’ courtyard, “Perhaps today is the day the world ends.”

Raven bursts out laughing, “Don’t be dramatic, Charles.”

A bird flies by his window. The world doesn’t end. Damn.

“You probably just walked by a random kid that was thinking too hard about asking their crush out and it rubbed off on you.”

He pouts to himself, “Probably.” It’s not reassuring, nor is it a solid fact. He doesn’t like it.

“Look, it’s probably nothing.”

“I know,” he sighs, still pouting.

There’s a quiet knock on the door, one with a student’s mind attached to it. He pouts harder.

“There’s a student at the door. I’ll talk to you later, Raven.”

“Love you, bro.”

Charles smiles, “Happy Valentine’s Day.” And hangs up the phone.

He looks at the door and straightens himself in his seat, “Come in!”

* * *

Charles’ sighs as he walks down the hall to his flat. His day never got better. He continued to feel antsy, nervous, and paced up and down his lecture halls until someone would ask him a question. He felt so off that he end class early and left before his office hours were over. He still isn’t able to put his finger on why he’s feeling this way. He just hopes it goes away by tomorrow.

He clumsily stick his key into the door, fumbling for a moment before it finally pushes open. 

The first thing he notices is the smell. The air is pleasantly filled with the smell of roses and garlic, an odd mix that works so well. The next thing he notices are the candles lit around the flat, varying in shape and size, all of them probably scentless. The third thing he notices is the trail of petals on the wooden floors of the flat, and the handfuls of petals spread around the furniture. 

A sharp pang of disappointment stabs his stomach and heart. He should have assumed that Erik was going to have a date over for Valentine’s Day. He doesn’t know why he assumed they’d call in some Chinese and proceed watching all the movies they never saw in the theater. He should have taken an extra set of clothes to the university, showered in the gym, and slept on the couch he had in his office. If he did that he wouldn’t have to deal with the heartache that comes with having a crush on a best friend.

He carefully steps over the rose petals, not wanting to mess up the hard work Erik so obviously put into this set up. Whoever the person Erik is going to have over is lucky, Erik never puts this much work into what he likes to call a ‘capitalist holiday’. Though, Charles would- and does- love him either way. 

Charles can hear the sound of dishes being washed in the kitchen. The sound of Erik preparing a nice dinner for two that Charles would love to have a ticket to. He’s not sure if Erik heard him come in or not, so he yells: “I’ll be out of your hair before you date gets here. Just need to get some clothes before heading back to the university.”

A plate crashes in the kitchen, but Charles ignores it for heading to his room. He throws the door open, tossing his briefcase on the floor, and heads to his closet to dig out his gym bag. He’s not sure whether or not he wants to go out tonight. Just because it’s his favorite holiday doesn’t mean it’s a good night for singles. Not only do the nerves have him in a bad mood, but now that it’s obvious his crush isn’t reciprocated he feels even worse.

He’s too busy folding clothes into his duffel bag that he doesn’t notice Erik come into his room.

“Charles,” Erik says, slightly panting, “I thought you weren’t due home until later.”

Charles shrugs, not mentioning the nervous feeling he’s had all day or the hole tearing into his heart, “I let my last class out early and decided grading could be done later.” He turns around to grab a pair of briefs, “Don’t worry I’ll be gone before your date can get here.” He doesn’t want to be here whenever the person shows up, he doesn’t need to see them before absolutely necessary.

“My date?” Erik asks, still breathless. 

Charles nods, folding the black pair into a small square, “Yes, the one you’ve set everything up for.”

There’s a pause, a moment of silence that Charles ignores for considering whether or not he should change into gym clothes and work out his pent up frustration and nerves.

“For a telepath you’re so dim.”

Charles frowns, turning around, “That was unnecessary.”

Erik takes a step closer, placing his hands on his hips, “It was completely necessary and a truth you can’t deny.”

“No need to be mean, Erik. Don’t you need to get ready for your date?” He decides against changing into gym clothes, perhaps he’ll see if one of his old college buddies is single and ready to get royally drunk.

“And there you go being an idiot again.”

“Hey, just because--”

“You’re the date, you fool,” Erik snaps, crossing his arms in front of his chest, “Unless you don’t want to be.”

Charles is stunned silent. He repeats the moment over in his head before registering what happened, “All of that is for me?”

Erik doesn’t meet his eyes, “Yes.”

Charles moves to stand in front of Erik, “You want to date me?”

“Yes,” Erik says, still not meeting his eyes.

“How long?” Charles asks, because he needs to know. He needs to know how long they’ve both been dancing around each other.

Erik finally looks at him, there’s softness in his eyes, “For as long as I can remember.”

“Erik,” Charles says, breathless, “why didn’t you ever say anything?”

Erik rolls his eyes, softness still there, “I’m saying something now, aren’t I?”

A laugh bubbles from Charles’ lips, “Yes, you are.” And it all makes sense. The nerves he’s felt all day came from Erik. 

Erik’s been nervous about asking him out, on Valentine’s Day of all days. On Charles’ favorite holiday. Who knows how long he’s had the candles, petals, and dinner planned. The nerves in his stomach slowly morph into excited butterflies, and Charles has an inkling that this is how Erik feels.

Erik drops his crossed arms, “So, do you want to have dinner with me?”

Charles smiles, taking one of Erik’s hands, “Yes, you emotion projecting fool. I’d love to.”

A grin spreads across Erik’s lips, “Perfect, shall we?”

Charles mirrors his grin, ”We shall.”

**Author's Note:**

> [Rebloggable Post!]()


End file.
